Swivel for rotary drilling apparatus



June 3, 1930. E. E. GREVE 1,761,826

SWIVEL FOR ROTARY DRILLING APPARATUS Filed April 6, 1927 Ill/9.1.

4L 37 I; 40 2 '2 52 56 B Q I46 41% E 43 44 i a g I Patented June 3, 19301 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .EDGAR E. GREVE, .OF BELLEV'UE,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OIL WELL SUPPLY COMPANY, PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA SWIVEL FOB ROTARY DRILLINGAPPARATUS Application filed April- 6,

tion is to. provide a strong, durable and elficient swivel that willsuccessfully take care of the loads placed on the swivels.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction inwhich the loads are carried on a plurality ofbearings, provision beingmade for equalizing the loads on the several bearings of the swivelstructure.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates an application of myinvention:

Fig. 1 is a vertical swivel, one-half being taken on a plane at rightangles to the other half; and

ig. 1A is a sectional view showing the goose-neck of the swivel device.

v Referring to the drawings, the swivel structure,

as illustrated, includes a hollow body} member 5, a swivel stem 6 havinga head 7 formed integral therewith, a cap or top closure member 8secured to the upper end of the body by bolts 9' passed through flangedportions '10 and 11 respectively formed on the body and cap members. Gapmember 8 is'formed with a central opening 12 designed to receive ahollow adjusting plug 13, which latter surrounds a pipe 14 designed topass mud and water employed in the drilling operation down through theswivel and into the drill pipes. Pipe 14 extends through the body 5 andis connected at its upper end to a goose-neck 15, and its lower end isin communication with a section'of drill pipe 16.

Between the head 7 and the adjusting plug or bushing 13, ball bearings17 are provided. The function of these bearings is to support the upperportion of the swivel .is disconnected from its distributing and sectionof my improved.

1927. Serial No. 181,594.

or the body, bail, cap,

supporting means, as when the end of the drill pipe is resting againstthe bottom of the well. In this osition, the bearings 17 take'the weight0 the body, etc., and serve to prevent friction between the head and theupper part of the swivel. y

Locatedwithin the body, and having a slight vertical movement on theswivel stem 6, I provide a movable head or-member 19 having an elongatedsleeve portion 20 that surrounds the swivel stem, said head being etc.,when the bail mounted on anti-friction bearings 21 disposed between aledge 22 of the body and thesaid member 19.

23 designates ball bearings for the up or swivel head 7, these bearingsbeing disposed between an annular block 23 supported on an annularflange 23of thebody,

and a free ring member 24. The upper portion of the slidable member 19is tapered or beveled, as shown at 25, and member 24 is provided with asimilar inclined or beveled face 26. These beveled portions are designedto contain a series of balls 27 disposed between the under face of thehead 7 and the said members 19 and 24.

It will, be noted that the balls 27 are designed to carry the loadsto-which the head 7 is subjected and that the'loads are transmitted tothe inclined faces of the slightly movable member 19 and the freeslightly movable ring member 24, andjfrom the said members to theirrespective bearings 21 and 23. As member 24 may move verticallyrelatively to the swivel. stem, similarly to the movement of member 19,it will be understood that, should a difference in load occur on eitherbearing 21 or 23, the loads will at once be equalized, due to verticalmovement' of either member 19 or member 24,

thus causing'the balls 27 to be moved-in wardly or outwardly slightly onthe hearing or under face of the head 7 By providing the two sets ofbearings 21 and 23 acting in conjunction with the heads 19 and 7, theloadon the swivel, may be divided between the two sets of bearings andthe load on the respective bearings may be 20' to the lower endequalized by the means just above described;

Mounted between the body and the cylindrical stern, and just below thebearings'21, are verticalroller bearings 30 adapted to 5 take the sidethrust of the parts. 1 rates a screw plug threaded into a lateralpassageway extending through the bdy'5 and bearing against a spring 32,which, in .turn, bears against a retaining pin 33, which latter actsto-retain the liners 33 of the bearings 30 in position. Y

Betweenthe lower end of the body and a portion of the stem 6, I providea gland 34 threaded into the body, together with packing means 35 forthe purpose of pack-. ing oil the swivel stem from the body and therebyretaining the lubricating oil usually placed in the body.

36- designat es a coupling member threaded signed to connect the swivelstructure with a section 16 of the drill is Eovided with s'tu ng-boxesincluding ac "ng elements 37 and glands 338' and 39. an aid lands 38 and39 are each provided with anged portions 40 and 41 respectively, saidportions being formed with alined openin s 42-and 43 adapted tdreceiveright and le handed threaded adjusting bolts 44 en- 30 tered' in saidopenings. Bolts 44 provided with a head 45 for turning the bolt and witha lock nut 46, by means of which the res ective glands may be adjustedto the desire p'ositionsu as The packing construction described eliminates threaded connections between the glands and the stufiing-boxes andpermits a simultaneous movement of saidglands by manipulating the head45. The purpose of PIOVlCllIl the packings is to prevent the mud anfiuid contained in pipe 14 from working in between the outer surface ofsaid pipe and the inner face of the swivel stem and between said pipeand the coupling.

It is, of course, understood that the swivel is constructed so that whenthe swivel is ready for use the loads will be equally distributed uponthe two sets of'load carrying bearin s21 and 23; due to variations inthe wear, owever, means must be provided to equalize the loads on therespective bearings. This equalization is eifected automatically by themeans shown and described.

What I claim is: 3

1. In an equalizing bearing for'a revolving shaft having a fixed head, aplurality of bearings comprising upper and lower bear ings, means forequalizing the load among the bearings disposed above the upper bearingand comprising a series of balls and movable load transmitting elementsdisposed on the respective bearings, each of said elements havinganinclined face, said balls an arranged in contact with the fixed head and31 desiging comprising of the swivel stem 6, de-

resting upon said inclined faces-and cooperating therewith. v 2. In anequalizing bearing for a revolving shaft having a fixed head, aplurality of bearings comprising upper and lower bearings, means forequalizing the load among the bearings disposed above the upper bearingand comprising a series of balls and movable load transmitting elementsdisposed on the respective bearings, said load transmitting elementsdisposed on the lower bearan annular head and an upwardly projectingsleeve portion having an annular inclined face, said other loadtransmitting'element comprising an annular member having an inclinedface, and said balls disposed between and in contact with the fixed headand the inclined faces.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

- EDGAR E. GREVE.

ipe. The coupling i are each I

